From Pressure to Practice: Institutional Pressures and ESG Adoption in LMIC Healthcare- A Case Study of Ghanaian Public Hospitals
(2025) SMMM40 20251Department of Service Studies
- Abstract
- This study explores the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks within public hospitals in Ghana, focusing on the institutional pressures influencing ESG adoption and their impact on healthcare professionals’ daily operations. It also considers the alignment of these practices with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing gaps in the literature—such as the dominance of high-income country perspectives, the limited voices of internal stakeholders, and overreliance on
quantitative methods—this research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in institutional theory. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 clinical and non-clinical staff at two district public hospitals in... (More) - This study explores the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks within public hospitals in Ghana, focusing on the institutional pressures influencing ESG adoption and their impact on healthcare professionals’ daily operations. It also considers the alignment of these practices with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing gaps in the literature—such as the dominance of high-income country perspectives, the limited voices of internal stakeholders, and overreliance on
quantitative methods—this research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in institutional theory. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 clinical and non-clinical staff at two district public hospitals in Ghana, the study investigates how ESG principles are interpreted and enacted in under-resourced settings. The findings show that institutional pressures—coercive, normative, and mimetic—shape ESG adoption in uneven ways. Practices are often
informal, fragmented, and initiated by individuals rather than formal strategies. Environmental initiatives are most visible but lack strategic direction; social efforts face weak institutional support; and governance practices are hindered by leadership and accountability gaps. This
Research contributes to ESG discourse by situating sustainability within the lived experiences of LMIC healthcare professionals. It offers theoretical insight into how institutional pressures function in resource-limited environments and provides practical guidance for developing context-sensitive ESG strategies in public hospitals. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- This study explores the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks within public hospitals in Ghana, focusing on the institutional pressures influencing ESG adoption and their impact on healthcare professionals’ daily operations. It also considers the alignment of these practices with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing gaps in the literature—such as the dominance of high-income
country perspectives, the limited voices of internal stakeholders, and overreliance on quantitative methods—this research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in institutional theory. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 clinical and non-clinical staff at two
district public hospitals in... (More) - This study explores the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks within public hospitals in Ghana, focusing on the institutional pressures influencing ESG adoption and their impact on healthcare professionals’ daily operations. It also considers the alignment of these practices with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing gaps in the literature—such as the dominance of high-income
country perspectives, the limited voices of internal stakeholders, and overreliance on quantitative methods—this research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in institutional theory. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 clinical and non-clinical staff at two
district public hospitals in Ghana, the study investigates how ESG principles are interpreted and enacted in under-resourced settings. The findings show that institutional pressures—coercive, normative, and mimetic—shape ESG adoption in uneven ways. Practices are often informal, fragmented, and initiated by individuals rather than formal strategies. Environmental initiatives are most visible but lack strategic direction; social efforts face weak institutional support; and governance practices are hindered by leadership and accountability gaps. This research contributes to ESG discourse by situating sustainability within the lived experiences of LMIC healthcare professionals. It offers theoretical insight into how institutional pressures function in resource-limited environments and provides practical guidance for developing context-sensitive ESG strategies in public hospitals. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9209322
- author
- Abdulai, Sualihu Wunniche LU and Im, Yujin LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Integration of Environmental, social and Governance (ESG) frameworks within public hospital in Ghana, focusing on the institutional pressures influencing ESG adoption and their impact on professionals' daily operations.
- course
- SMMM40 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), institutional theory, institutional work, public hospitals, sustainability, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Ghana
- language
- English
- id
- 9209322
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-04 11:08:44
- date last changed
- 2025-08-04 11:08:44
@misc{9209322, abstract = {{This study explores the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks within public hospitals in Ghana, focusing on the institutional pressures influencing ESG adoption and their impact on healthcare professionals’ daily operations. It also considers the alignment of these practices with selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing gaps in the literature—such as the dominance of high-income country perspectives, the limited voices of internal stakeholders, and overreliance on quantitative methods—this research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in institutional theory. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 clinical and non-clinical staff at two district public hospitals in Ghana, the study investigates how ESG principles are interpreted and enacted in under-resourced settings. The findings show that institutional pressures—coercive, normative, and mimetic—shape ESG adoption in uneven ways. Practices are often informal, fragmented, and initiated by individuals rather than formal strategies. Environmental initiatives are most visible but lack strategic direction; social efforts face weak institutional support; and governance practices are hindered by leadership and accountability gaps. This Research contributes to ESG discourse by situating sustainability within the lived experiences of LMIC healthcare professionals. It offers theoretical insight into how institutional pressures function in resource-limited environments and provides practical guidance for developing context-sensitive ESG strategies in public hospitals.}}, author = {{Abdulai, Sualihu Wunniche and Im, Yujin}}, language = {{eng}}, note = {{Student Paper}}, title = {{From Pressure to Practice: Institutional Pressures and ESG Adoption in LMIC Healthcare- A Case Study of Ghanaian Public Hospitals}}, year = {{2025}}, }